Inside the Top 10: Mid-Atlantic ’26 Big Board (No. 6–10)

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>On Thursday, we introduced our Midseason Mid-Atlantic Top 75 for the Class of 2026, and have been chipping away by breaking down the top-ranked recruits and the biggest movers. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Today, we're focusing on players ranked No. 6 through No. 10 <a href="https://preplacrosse.com/2026/04/inside-the-top-five-mid-atlantic-26-big-board-breakdown/">after writing up the top five late in the week</a>. <a href="https://preplacrosse.com/national/player-rankings/2026-mid-atlantic-region-rankings/">For the full Top 75, head to the rankings landing page</a>.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>#6 [player_tooltip player_id='16462' first='Noah' last='Han'] | A | Georgetown Prep (Md.) | Princeton </strong><br>An above-the-cage weapon who gets his hands free at will, Han is one of the most explosive dodgers/shooters in the 2026 class. He primarily operates from the wing and up top, but is just as capable of picking apart defenses from below GLE, <a href="https://preplacrosse.com/2026/03/han-lutz-lead-miaa-sweep-as-georgetown-prep-tops-loyola-15-10/">as he did in a three-goal, six-assist effort against Loyola in early March</a>. There's no denying his killer instinct, but I'd like to see him assert himself more in Prep's biggest games and sustain that production throughout the spring. With the Tigers' 2027 attack unit essentially set, he projects to earn early minutes out of the box, where he'll be a tough matchup against shortsticks.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>#7 [player_tooltip player_id='35704' first='Jace' last='Banks'] | A | Hill School (Pa.) | Notre Dame</strong><br>Banks quickly endeared himself to evaluators at Top 10 programs in June of his recruiting summer, showcasing his twitchy athleticism in high-level matchups. Strong in the two-man game and excellent when coming off picks, the 6-foot-2 Delaware native is dangerous in space and can shoot it at a high clip from mid-range. Long term, I'd project him as a midfielder at Notre Dame, where his dynamic above-the-cage dodging should translate well within a loaded roster. It may take a year to carve out a role, but his best lacrosse is still ahead of him.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>#8 [player_tooltip player_id='24577' first='Danny' last='Riely'] | M | Malvern Prep (Pa.) | Notre Dame</strong><br>Riely, who originally committed to Cornell before flipping to Notre Dame last July, has made significant strides since his sophomore year and has been at his best in the Friars' biggest games. Highly capable on both ends and between the lines, he was once pegged as a college SSDM. However, his offensive game has progressed to the point that he now leads Malvern in scoring in 2026, making it no surprise if he cracks Notre Dame's offensive midfield rotation. There's a lot of Quinn McCahon in his game, and he projects to fill a similar do-it-all role in South Bend.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>#9 [player_tooltip player_id='71563' first='Dylan' last='Novak'] | D | Malvern Prep (Pa.) | Notre Dame</strong><br>Another piece of the Philly-to-Notre Dame pipeline, Novak moves remarkably well for a 6-foot-4, 220-pound defender—a testament to his football background. Once viewed as a high-upside recruit, his year-over-year development has been striking. Now playing with clear confidence as a senior, he's grown into a true shutdown presence, consistently excelling against some of the nation's top attackmen. Notre Dame has a strong track record of developing defensemen, and Novak appears poised to follow suit as a multi-year contributor, with a chance to compete early for minutes as a fourth defender or second LSM as a freshman.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>#10 [player_tooltip player_id='45374' first='Jackson' last='Orcutt'] | M | Episcopal Academy (Pa.) | North Carolina </strong><br>Teaming up with an excellent senior class, Orcutt — who flipped from Georgetown to UNC late in the fall — has been a key piece of EA's rise. One of the most athletically gifted players in his class, he can take over a matchup at will, finish with either hand, and routinely produce some of the prettiest individual efforts you'll see. With UNC looking loaded at midfield for the foreseeable future, I'll be curious to see where he fits in. The clearest path to playing time may be at defensive midfield, where his athleticism could make him a force and a spark in transition.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->